Congress accuses RSS of trafficking tribal girls in Assam

The Congress on Saturday alleged that three affiliates of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were involved in trafficking of 31 tribal girls from Assam under the garb of better education, and said that they would also raise the issue in Parliament.

The three affiliates of the RSS as named by the Congress are 'Rashtra Sevika Samiti', 'Vidya Bharti' and 'Sewa Bharti'.

Congress also attacked the government by asking if "this was the fulfilment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme." It also demanded that the Centre must intervene and ensure that the tribal girls were re-united with their families soon.

"A detailed investigation and documentary evidence establishes as to how the Sangh Parivar flouted Indian and international laws on child rights to traffic 31 young tribal girls from Assam to Punjab and Gujarat to indoctrinate them," Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi told mediapersons.

"Orders to return these children to Assam, including those from the Assam State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, the Child Welfare Committee, Kokrajhar, the State Child Protection Society and Childline, Delhi and Patiala were violated with impunity by Sangh Parivar-run institutions with active connivance of BJP-ruled governments of Gujarat and Punjab," she added.

Chaturvedi further said that out of the 31 girls, 20 of them are in children's home in Rashtriya Shikshan Seva Pratishthan, Halvad, Gujarat and 11 of them are in Punjab.

According to the Congress, on June 9 of 2015, 31 tribal girls, between the age of three and 11, from five border districts of Assam -- Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Dhubri, Chirang, and Bongaigaon -- were taken to Delhi on the Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express.

"Assam State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights wrote to the Punjab and Gujarat governments to ensure that the trafficked children are brought back to Assam. But a year later, 31 girls are still not back in Assam. Their hapless parents are desperate," said Chaturvedi.

She also said it was a violation of a Supreme Court ruling.

"In the year 2010, Supreme Court expressly directed the states of Manipur and Assam to ensure that no child below the age of 12 years or those at primary school level are sent outside for pursuing education to other states," she added.

According to the Congress, it was also a violation of Article 9 of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Juvenile Justice Act, 2000.

"When viewed in light of complete inaction either by the BJP-ruled governments of Gujarat and Punjab or by the NDA government at the Centre, it clearly points towards abdication of the founding duty of protecting the children," said Chaturvedi.

"Is this BJP's and RSS' idea of inculcating education and protecting children," she asked.

--IANS

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